Thai PM harasses reporters
Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej routinely harasses reporters and attempts to intimidate the media with his foul mouth, a coalition of Thai journalism groups charged yesterday.
The Organizations of Media Occupations, which represents three Thai journalism groups, said the tactics are aimed at giving the public the impression that the media is the source of all the country's problems.
"This is the new method of intimidation," the group said in a statement coinciding with World Press Freedom Day. "Samak has been using the state media, the state television to scolded the media with rude and dirty words with his intention to intimidate the media from reporting the news in a straightforward way."
It also accused the government of using criminal defamation laws to stifle the media, and the prime minister of using state-owned media outlets to counter stories that run in the privately owned media.
"This behavior reflects his intolerance toward different views, which entirely contradicts (the) culture of democracy," the group said of Samak.
The government's spokesman, Wichianchote Sukchotrat, refused to comment on the allegations.
Samak, who became prime minister in January after leading his People's Power Party to victory in the December general election, said Wednesday he would stop holding twice-a-week news conferences following strong criticism about the blunt and sometimes crude language he uses.
Samak said that a prominent figure in Thai society, whom he refused to name, told him to tone down his language. He said he was also asked to tone down the language he uses during his one-man Sunday television and radio talk shows.
The prime minister's long-standing bent for speaking bluntly has won him popularity with working-class and some middle-class voters during his four decades in Thai politics, but he is also disliked by many who find his style too provocative and crude.
Samak, who usually espouses right-wing positions, has in the past berated the press for being a "burden on development" and complained that reporters ask "lousy" questions.
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